Dying for a Haircut

As Governors begin to assert their power to re-open portions of commerce within their states, you have to think about what you're willing to risk to participate. As a baseline, I live in Virginia and the last word we've had from Governor Ralph Northam is that we're staying in a stay-at-home mode but might be ready to begin the reopening process on or about May 8.

Haircut? I need one, but after spending well over two months dressing like I'm leaving the International Space Station for a Hubble repair mission to take out the garbage I don't trust that everyone in that shop has been assiduous as I have for as long as I have.

I didn't go to a gym before all this started and I'm not going to one now.

Restaurants where I live are not open, but a significant number - certainly nowhere near half - are providing curb-side take-out service. When they do begin to open, it is unclear to me how they will handle social separation. Simply leaving every-other-table empty is one way to do it. Taking tables out of the dining room is another.

Economists are saying restaurants can't survive on half-full dining rooms. Maybe so, but I've been in plenty of restaurants in Old Town Alexandria where the dining room has been nowhere near half-full, even in normal times.

I understand this is generational, but what's with the rush to open tattoo parlors? Is there a pent-up demand for tattoos that must be released or … or what?

When I was young, the only people who had tattoos were (a) Male and/or (b) Enlisted Navy personnel and/or (c) people who hung out at pool parlors.

Believe me, I would like nothing more than to go back to the status quo ante when running out to the Safeway didn't include 24 hours of planning, or going to the hardware store on a whim wasn't a death-defying action.

I watch this stuff a lot. Not every minute of every day because there is not new news every minute of every day.

I understand we need more testing and, like many things in my life, as I'm listening to Dr. Anthony Fauci explain why we need more testing I understand it, but 30 seconds later I can't remember what he said.

I was like that before, too.

I get that people without symptoms can be "shedding virus" which draws an awful picture in my mind but I'm still not certain what the problem is.

Dr. Deborah Birx, who is a serious person and who I really want to like, insists that there is plenty of testing capability available around the nation. But, around the nation Governors (and others) continue to complain that there are not enough swabs and there is not enough reagent.

It is like saying Patton had plenty of tanks available in World War II but not mentioning there was no fuel available for them for a time.

Dr. Birx, on the Sunday shows, took the defensive posture about Donald Trump's "let them eat Clorox" declaration by saying she was disappointed that something Trump said on Thursday "is still in the news cycle."

Thus, Dr. Birx has joined the March of the Morons in the White House who blame the press corps for what Trump says and Tweets.

Birx was in the military and rose to the rank of Colonel, and she has done remarkable - lifesaving work - as one of America's most influential HIV/AIDS medical activists.

We know that Trump is suspicious of anyone who has ever served in the Federal government under any President not named Trump. Turns out that Dr. Birx' husband, Paige Reffe, was director of advance for … Bill Clinton.

How long until that begins to bore into Trump's mind?

I'm as tired as you are of doing nothing or, more to the point, doing something but under restrictive circumstances. If you've ever thought about committing a major crime, think about doing this for 15 years in prison, not 15 weeks at home.

More than that, though I need a haircut.

But, I'm not dying for a haircut.

Stay safe.

On the Secret Decoder Ring page today: The Wikipedia entry for Dr. Deborah Birx. A website that tracks the coronavirus country-by-country.